How Much Money Can You Make Teaching English Online?

Hello everyone,

Are you looking for a way to make some extra income from home?

Or maybe you want a full-time job that allows you to work remotely?

Teaching English online could be a great option for you.

But how much can you actually earn?

Let’s take a closer look.

The Basics of Teaching English Online

Before we dive into income potential, let’s cover the basics.

Teaching English online involves using video conferencing technology to provide English lessons to students located around the world.

The students could be children, teenagers, or adults.

The companies that hire online English teachers are usually based in countries where English is not the primary language spoken, such as China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and several Latin American countries.

The students pay to take online lessons to improve their English skills for school, jobs, travel, or personal interest.

As an online English teacher, you’ll be working as an independent contractor, not a full-time employee.

This gives you scheduling flexibility, as you can choose the times and days you want to teach.

However, it also means you don’t get benefits like health insurance or paid vacation time.

Getting Hired

To get hired by one of these online English teaching companies, you generally need to meet the following requirements:

– Be a native English speaker (or have native-level fluency)
– Have a bachelor’s degree (in any subject)
– Some companies require a teaching certificate/credential, while others don’t

The application process typically involves submitting your documents, completing a video interview, and giving a demo teaching lesson.

Once hired, you’ll go through training provided by the company on their online teaching platform and methodology.

Income Potential

So how much can you potentially earn teaching English online?

It really depends on several factors, but in general, you can expect to make $10-$25 per hour as an online English teacher. Let’s break it down further.

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Part-Time Income

If you want to teach English online as a part-time side gig in addition to your regular job or other commitments, a realistic income range would be:

– $300-$800 per month for 5-15 hours of teaching per week
– $500-$1,500 per month for 15-30 hours per week

At the higher end, some very experienced online teachers who put in a lot of hours can make up to $2,000 per month from part-time work. But for most, $300-$1,000 is more common for part-timers.

Full-Time Income

Want to make a full-time living from teaching English online?

Here’s what you can potentially earn:

– $2,000-$3,000 per month for 30-40 hours per week
– $3,000-$4,000+ per month for 40+ hours per week

The top online English teachers who really maximize their hours can make up to $5,000 per month or more.

However, this level of income requires teaching 50-60+ hours per week, which can be grueling over time.

For a more sustainable full-time workload, $2,500-$3,500 per month is a reasonable range if you work 35-45 hours across various time zones and companies.

Factors Affecting Income

As you can see, there’s a fairly wide range in terms of how much you can make teaching English online.

The amount you earn depends on:

– How many hours you teach each week
– Your level of experience and qualifications
– Which company or companies you work for
– Whether you teach one-on-one or group classes
– Student payments in the countries you teach in
– Bonuses or incentives offered

Online teaching companies typically pay more for teaching one-on-one rather than group classes.

They also pay higher rates to teachers with specialized certifications, teaching credentials, relevant degrees, or prior experience.

Furthermore, some companies have higher base pay rates than others based on those located in various countries and what students can afford to pay.

Companies in China, for example, tend to pay a bit lower than those based in Japan or Korea.

The demand for your time slots also affects your earning potential.

Peak times when students want lessons (evenings, weekends, etc.) allow you to charge more.

Getting Started

If the income potential for teaching English online appeals to you, here are some tips to get started:

– Research online teaching job postings and companies to find a good fit
– Make sure you have a decent headset, webcam, and reliable internet
– Set up a professional yet kid-friendly teaching space if needed
– Gain experience through platforms like Cambly or Preply first if needed
– Build up your online teaching portfolio and credentials over time
– Apply to multiple companies simultaneously
– Maintain a professional attitude and build rapport with students
– Take advantage of any incentives or bonuses to boost earnings

It does take some upfront effort, but establishing yourself as an online English teacher can provide a nice extra income stream.

For some, it may even become a full-time career.

The Bottom Line

While the income potential for teaching English online has a fairly wide range of $300 per month on the low end to $5,000+ per month for top teachers working full-time, most fall somewhere in the middle.

If you treat it as a serious part-time job, you could likely make $500-$1,500 per month.

And if you pursue it as a full-time career, $2,500-$4,000 per month is a reasonable goal.

The keys are putting in the hours, delivering quality lessons, and finding the right mix of companies and pay rates.

With some perseverance, you can certainly earn a decent income working from home and on your own schedule by teaching English online.